Parenting styles and dental caries in Brazilian children and adolescents in foster care.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyse parenting styles as a possible factor associated with caries in foster children and adolescents who had been victims of domestic violence. METHODS: The study was carried out in nine foster shelters in Recife, Northeast Brazil, with a sample of 88 participants aged 8 to 17 years old. Data were collected through intraoral examinations to verify deft/DMFT indices, applying the Demandingness and Responsiveness Scales to determine parenting styles. In turn, sociodemographic data were retrieved from records filed at the institutions. Descriptive analysis was performed, with the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests being used to compare the categories of numerical variables. RESULTS: The mean deft/DMFT was of 3.78 in children (8 and 9 years old) and 1.93 in adolescents (10 years old and older). Overall, the index was of 2.31. Neglect was the main reason for the children's admission to foster care, while neglectful was the most prevalent parenting style. CONCLUSION: Children of indulgent parents had higher caries indices in both deciduous and permanent teeth, while children of authoritative (permanent teeth) and authoritarian parents (deciduous teeth) had the lowest caries indices. However, no significant associations were found between caries and parenting styles.

Exposure to air pollution and hospitalization due to COVID-19 in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

The association between exposure to air pollutants and respiratory diseases is well known. This study aimed to identify the association between this exposure and hospitalizations for COVID-19 in São José dos Campos, SP, a medium-sized city, between April 2020 and April 2021. Hospitalization data, concerning code B34.2, was supplied by DATASUS, and data concerning pollutants and climate variables were supplied by CETESB. Cases were quantified by sex, age, length of hospital stay in days, and type of discharge, whether hospital discharge or death. The negative binomial regression model was chosen. Estimates were produced for the relative risk (RR) of significant exposure to pollutants (P≤0.05) with a 10 µg/m3 increase of pollutant, as well as for excess hospitalizations. There were 1873 hospitalizations, with a daily average of 4.7 (±3.8), ranging from zero to 21: 716 deaths (38.2%) were recorded, 1065 admissions were men, and women were less susceptible (OR=0.82). The average age of women was higher than that of men; in cases of death, men were older than women; discharged patients were younger. All the above variables were significant. The risk of ozone exposure was higher and more significant in Lag 2, and the risk of nitrogen dioxide exposure was high in Lag 3, which was the period of the highest increase in hospitalizations, at 11.3%. The findings of this study, the first conducted in Brazil, corroborate the results of studies conducted in other centers.

Chemical data of contaminants in water and sediments from the Doce River four years after the mining dam collapse disaster.

Chemical datasets describing the occurrence of both inorganic and organic contaminants along the Doce River Basin (DRB) could provide a better understanding of the potential impacts of a major mining dam collapse disaster combined to additional chronic sources of contamination. This data article presents datasets of main contaminants detected in the water and sediments sampled four years after the mining dam collapse in the DRB. A summary table of data obtained in the literature is also provided to allow a comparison of the variation of chemicals before, right after in 2015/2016 and after the event (current data). In addition, there are also provided physical-chemical parameters of water and sediments of different sampling sites, which could support the investigation of chemicals distribution. For this purpose, triplicate samples of water and sediment were obtained in 8 sampling sites along the DRB during wet and dry seasons of 2019, totalizing 48 samples of each environmental matrix. The sampling sites were strategically selected according to their different main sources of pollution along the river. Concentrations of trace elements and organic contaminants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pyrethroids) were determined in samples of water and sediments by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry GC-MS, respectively. Main data obtained in the literature consisted in published reports from environmental agencies (IGAM) and private companies (RENOVA) as well as journal articles. The datasets provided may be useful to the stakeholders, which include scientific community, authorities and public agencies, and private companies interested to understand the impacts of the contaminants introduced along the River Basin four years after the environmental disaster.

Living in endemic area for infectious diseases accelerates epigenetic age.

Inflammaging is a low-grade inflammatory state generated by the aging process that can contribute to frailty and age-related diseases in the elderly. However, it can have distinct effects in the elderly living in endemic areas for infectious diseases. An increased inflammatory response may confer protection against infectious agents in these areas, although this advantage can cause accelerating epigenetic aging. In this study, we evaluated the inflammatory profile and the epigenetic age of infected and noninfected individuals from an endemic area in Brazil. The profile of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors analyzed in the sera of the two groups of individuals showed similarities, although infected individuals had a higher concentration of these mediators. A significant increase in IL-1ra, CXCL8, CCL2, CCL3 and CCL4 production was associated with leprosy infection. Notably, elderly individuals displayed distinct immune responses associated with their infection status when compared to adults suggesting an adaptive remodelling of their immune responses. Epigenetic analysis also showed that there was no difference in epigenetic age between the two groups of individuals. However, individuals from the endemic area had a significant accelerated aging when compared to individuals from São Paulo, a non-endemic area in Brazil. Moreover, the latter cohort was also epigenetically aged in relation to an Italian cohort. Our data shows that living in endemic areas for chronic infectious diseases results in remodelling of inflammaging and acceleration of epigenetic aging in individuals regardless of their infectious status. It also highlights that geographical, genetic and environmental factors influence aging and immunosenescence in their pace and profile.

Exposure to air pollution and hospitalization due to COVID-19 in São José dos Campos, Brazil

The association between exposure to air pollutants and respiratory diseases is well known. This study aimed to identify the association between this exposure and hospitalizations for COVID-19 in São José dos Campos, SP, a medium-sized city, between April 2020 and April 2021. Hospitalization data, concerning code B34.2, was supplied by DATASUS, and data concerning pollutants and climate variables were supplied by CETESB. Cases were quantified by sex, age, length of hospital stay in days, and type of discharge, whether hospital discharge or death. The negative binomial regression model was chosen. Estimates were produced for the relative risk (RR) of significant exposure to pollutants (P≤0.05) with a 10 µg/m3 increase of pollutant, as well as for excess hospitalizations. There were 1873 hospitalizations, with a daily average of 4.7 (±3.8), ranging from zero to 21: 716 deaths (38.2%) were recorded, 1065 admissions were men, and women were less susceptible (OR=0.82). The average age of women was higher than that of men; in cases of death, men were older than women; discharged patients were younger. All the above variables were significant. The risk of ozone exposure was higher and more significant in Lag 2, and the risk of nitrogen dioxide exposure was high in Lag 3, which was the period of the highest increase in hospitalizations, at 11.3%. The findings of this study, the first conducted in Brazil, corroborate the results of studies conducted in other centers.

Age estimation in north east Brazilians by measurement of open apices.

Dental age (DA) estimation is an extensively investigated resource used by forensic science. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of the Measurement of Open Apices for DA estimation in north east Brazilians. A total of 429 orthopantomographs of individuals aged 5 to 14.99 years were used. The sample was distributed according to the age groups 5-6.99, 7-8.99, 9-10.99, 11-12.99 and 13-14.99 years, and the data were analyzed descriptively and by linear regression (α= 5%). The majority of the radiographs were from females (n = 241; 56.2%), with an overall mean age of 12 years (± 2.12). A significant difference was observed between DA and chronological age (CA) in the total sample and specifically in females and males. The method underestimated CA by 0.31 year (total sample) and by 0.3 and 0.32 year in females and males, respectively. In contrast, the method overestimated CA in the groups 5-6.99 and 7-8.99 years, with a mean difference (MD) of 0.48 year (p = 0.007) and 0.17 year (p = 0.182), respectively. In the other groups, DA was predicted to be below CA, with a significant difference in the group 13-14.99 (0.75 year). Based on the regression analysis, a correction factor was proposed from the original formula for this population, thereby reaching a predictive power of approximately 80%. To conclude, this method is applicable to the study population aged 5 to 13 years as the estimates obtained did not exceed the error limit of ±1 year.

Monogenoidea parasites of Oreochromis niloticus submitted to ractopamine supplemented diet from cultivated system / [Monogenoidea parasitos de Oreochromis niloticus provenientes de sistema de cultivo submetidos a uma dieta suplementada com ractopamina]

Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus) (Perciformes: Cichlidae), commonly named "tilapia", is the second most cultivated species in the world. Among the diseases that affect tilapia are parasitic diseases caused by parasites of the class Monogenoidea. The aim of the present study was to analyze parasitism rates among specimens of O. niloticus in farming systems, after dietary supplementation with ractopamine, a growth promoter that is used for fattening fish. The action of this substance on the quantitative parameters of infestation by Monogenoidea was evaluated. Samples of O. niloticus were obtained from a fish farm in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. Their gills were removed and fixed. Four species of monogenoideans were collected: Cichlidogyrus halli, C. sclerosus, C. thurstonae and Scutogyrus longicornis. The results from this study indicate that the monogenoidean parasites of tilapias examined here presented different behaviors in relation to the ractopamine concentrations that were added to the food. The parasitological indexes did not present significant reductions through using ractopamine, thus leading to the conclusion that administration of ractopamine is not efficient as a method for controlling infestations of monogenoidean parasites.(AU)

Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus) (Perciformes: Cichlidae), tilápia, é a segunda espécie mais cultivada no mundo. Entre outras doenças que afetam a tilápia, estão as doenças provocadas por parasitos da classe Monogenoidea. O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar os índices de parasitismo em espécies de O. niloticus provenientes de sistemas de cultivo, submetidos a uma dieta com suplementação de ractopamina, usada como promotor de crescimento no estágio de engorda dos peixes, para avaliar as ações dessa substância nos parâmetros quantitativos da infestação por Monogenoidea. Exemplares de O. niloticus obtidos na piscicultura "Agropecuária do Buriti Perdido", em Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil, foram examinados; as brânquias foram removidas e fixadas. Quatro espécies foram coletadas: Cichlidogyrus halli, C. sclerosus, C. thurstonae e Scutogyrus longicornis. Os resultados obtidos no presente estudo indicaram que as espécies de Monogenoidea parasitos de tilápia examinadas apresentam diferentes comportamentos relacionados à concentração de ractopamina adicionada ao alimento. Os índices parasitológicos não apresentaram redução significativa pelo uso da ractopamina, levando à conclusão de que a ractopamina não é eficiente como método de controle parasitário em infestações por Monogenoidea.(AU)

Effect of neonatal bacille Calmette-Guérin on the tuberculin skin test reaction in the first 2 years of life.

SETTING: Latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) is an important reservoir of disease reactivation that is sufficient to generate new cases for decades. The tuberculin skin test (TST) is an important tool to diagnose LTBI; however, neonatal bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination may impact interpretation of TST data. OBJECTIVES: To analyse the effect of the neonatal BCG vaccine on TST reaction in the first 2 years of life in children with no identified contact with tuberculosis (TB). DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study in children up to 2 years of age who received neonatal BCG vaccination. In the absence of baseline comorbidities or contact with the bacillus, the children were given the TST. RESULTS: Seventy-nine children participated in the study. A decline in TST reactivity was observed in the first 12-24 months of age in patients who had been vaccinated with neonatal BCG but with no contact with TB. After the age of 10 months, no patient showed a TST reaction of >5 mm. CONCLUSION: BCG had low impact on the TST in children with no TB contact. This finding suggests the need to reassess the cut-off point to 5 mm of induration to improve TST specificity in LTBI identification.

Effects of exposure to fine particulate matter in elderly hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases in the South of the Brazilian Amazon.

Exposure to air pollution is an important cause of hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, few studies use pollutant concentration data estimated by mathematical models. A time-series ecological study was developed, using data from hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases in people over 60 years of age, residents of Cuiabá, Brazil, during 2012, obtained from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The independent variables were the concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) estimated by mathematical modeling, minimum temperature, and relative humidity (obtained from the Brazilian Meteorological Agency), and the number of forest fires. The generalized linear regression model of Poisson was used, with lags of 0 to 7 days. The coefficients obtained were transformed into relative risk of hospitalization, with respective 95% confidence intervals; alpha=5% was adopted. In that year, 591 hospitalizations were evaluated, with a daily average of 1.61 (SD=1.49), the PM2.5 average concentration was 15.7 µg/m3, and the CO average concentration was 144.2 ppb. Significant associations between exposure to these contaminants and hospitalizations in lags 3 and 4 in 2012 were observed. There was a hospitalization risk increase of 31.8%, with an increase of 3.5 µg/m3 of PM2.5 concentrations and an increase of 188 in the total number of hospitalizations, with an expense of more than ≈US$ 96,000 for the Brazilian Public Health System. This study provided information on the cost of air pollution to the health system and the feasibility of using a mathematical model to estimate environmental concentration of air pollutants.

Effects of exposure to fine particulate matter in elderly hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases in the South of the Brazilian Amazon

Exposure to air pollution is an important cause of hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, few studies use pollutant concentration data estimated by mathematical models. A time-series ecological study was developed, using data from hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases in people over 60 years of age, residents of Cuiabá, Brazil, during 2012, obtained from the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The independent variables were the concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) estimated by mathematical modeling, minimum temperature, and relative humidity (obtained from the Brazilian Meteorological Agency), and the number of forest fires. The generalized linear regression model of Poisson was used, with lags of 0 to 7 days. The coefficients obtained were transformed into relative risk of hospitalization, with respective 95% confidence intervals; alpha=5% was adopted. In that year, 591 hospitalizations were evaluated, with a daily average of 1.61 (SD=1.49), the PM2.5 average concentration was 15.7 µg/m3, and the CO average concentration was 144.2 ppb. Significant associations between exposure to these contaminants and hospitalizations in lags 3 and 4 in 2012 were observed. There was a hospitalization risk increase of 31.8%, with an increase of 3.5 µg/m3 of PM2.5 concentrations and an increase of 188 in the total number of hospitalizations, with an expense of more than ≈US$ 96,000 for the Brazilian Public Health System. This study provided information on the cost of air pollution to the health system and the feasibility of using a mathematical model to estimate environmental concentration of air pollutants.

Análise de determinantes intrapessoais e interpessoais como motivosde recaída no contexto da dependência química / Análise de determinantes intrapessoais e interpessoais como motivos de recaída no contexto da dependência química

Objetivo: identificar os motivos de recaída de dependentes químicos, em tratamento em um Centrode Atenção Psicossocial para álcool e drogas. Método: pesquisa descritiva e exploratória, comabordagem qualitativa. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada, com 15pessoas em tratamento ativo para dependência química. Os dados foram tratados por meio da análisede conteúdo. Resultados: dentre os determinantes interpessoais identificados, destacam-se o apoiofamiliar, o grupo de convívio social, a moradia fixa, e também o vínculo empregatício. Em geral, oambiente externo adequado minimiza a probabilidade de reuso. Em relação aos intrapessoais, sãorecorrentes a fissura, a dependência psíquica e a capacidade de lidar com frustrações. Conclusão:acredita-se que para evitar uma recaída, o dependente químico em tratamento, necessita de umainternação domiciliar, assim quando os determinantes interpessoais e intrapessoais ocorrerem, opaciente estará assistido, com menor risco de relapso.

Objective: this study aimed to identify the relapse reasons of drug addicts in treatment in aPsychosocial Care Center - alcohol and drugs. Method: a descriptive and exploratory research with aqualitative approach was carried out. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with15 people in active treatment for chemical dependency, and they are analyzed by content analysis.Results: the main interpersonal determinants perceived by drug addicts as causes of relapse werefamily support, social circle, fixed residence and job opportunity. Generally, the adequate externalenvironment decreases the probability of a relapse. When regarding the intrapersonal determinants,fissure, psychological dependency and resilience are the most recurring. Conclusion: it is believedthat, prevent a relapse, the addict in treatment, needs home care, therefore, when bothinterpersonal and intrapersonal determinants appear, the patient will be assisted, with minorchances of relapse.

New Radiation Dosimetry Estimates for [18F]FLT based on Voxelized Phantoms.

3'-Deoxy-3-[18F]fluorothymidine, or [18F]FLT, is a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer used in clinical studies for noninvasive assessment of proliferation activity in several types of cancer. Although the use of this PET tracer is expanding, to date, few studies concerning its dosimetry have been published. In this work, new [18F]FLT dosimetry estimates are determined for human and mice using Monte Carlo simulations. Modern voxelized male and female phantoms and [18F]FLT biokinetic data, both published by the ICRP, were used for simulations of human cases. For most human organs/tissues the absorbed doses were higher than those reported in ICRP Publication 128. An effective dose of 1.70E-02 mSv/MBq to the whole body was determined, which is 13.5% higher than the ICRP reference value. These new human dosimetry estimates obtained using more realistic human phantoms represent an advance in the knowledge of [18F]FLT dosimetry. In addition, mice biokinetic data were obtained experimentally. These data and a previously developed voxelized mouse phantom were used for simulations of animal cases. Concerning animal dosimetry, absorbed doses for organs/tissues ranged from 4.47 ± 0.75 to 155.74 ± 59.36 mGy/MBq. The obtained set of organ/tissue radiation doses for healthy Swiss mice is a useful tool for application in animal experiment design.

Adult stem cells in the healing of fractures and bone grafts / Células-madre adultas en la cicatrización de fracturas e injertos óseos

ABSTRACT The traumatic accidents which result in fractures and even in impairment of a bone segment have a high prevalence in routine veterinary surgery. Many times these fractures are complex and difficulty healing or need bone grafts to preserve and restore the length of the affected limb. Thus, the recovery time of these animals is usually delicate and long, with complications risks, such as delayed union and non-union of the fractured bone segments or absence of graft incorporation. In this sense, the stem cells (SC) have shown to be a strong ally of the orthopedic doctors due to their capacity to provide osteoprogenitor cells, to increase the osteoinductive effect minimize the healing time and provide a greater efficiency to the repairing process. Due to that, before the expectation of their assignments, this review aims to describe the stem cells characteristics, their current applications in the fractures healing and, especially, their contribution to the bone grafts consolidation.

RESUMEN Los accidentes traumáticos que resultan en fracturas y hasta en el comprometimiento de un segmento óseo tienen alta prevalencia en la rutina quirúrgica veterinaria. Muchas veces esas fracturas son complejas y presentan dificultades de cicatrización o necesitan de injertos óseos para preservar y restaurar el largo del miembro acometido. De esa forma, el tiempo de recuperación de esos animales suele ser delicado y prolongado con riegos de complicaciones, como unión retardada y no unión de los segmentos óseos fracturados o ausencia de incorporación de los injertos. En este sentido, las células-madre (CT) vienen demostrando ser una fuerte aliada de los ortopedistas debido a su capacidad en proveer células osteoprogenitoras, de incrementar el efecto osteoinductor, minimizar el tiempo de cicatrización y proporcionar mayor eficiencia al proceso reparador. Frente a la expectativa de sus atribuciones, la presente revisión tiene por objetivo describir las características de las células-madre, sus aplicaciones actuales en la cicatrización de fracturas y, especialmente, su contribución en la consolidación de injertos óseos.

Monepantel resistant Trichostrongylus colubriformis in goats in Brazil.

In a farm where Trichostrongylus colubriformis in sheep had been found resistant to monepantel (MNP), we aimed to evaluate the efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes in a controlled efficacy test (CT) and a fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) in goats. We used 15 (CT) and 30 goats (FECRT), naturally infected, and equally divided into control and treated groups. The efficacy of MNP in the CT against Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus axei and Cooperia curticei was 100%. For T. colubriformis, the efficacy was 90.5% in goats treated with 2.5mg/kg, and 88.1% in goats treated with 3.5mg/kg. In the FECRT, the overall reduction was 91% (2.5mg/kg) and 90% (3.75mg/kg). In the fecal cultures, Trichostrongylus spp. larvae represented 25% (pre-treatment) and 15% (post-treatment) of the larvae in the control group, but they were 75% (2.5mg/kg) and 98% (3.75mg/kg) of the recovered larvae after MNP treatment. In accordance with published standards, and based on FECRT and CT, MNP was considered ineffective against T. colubriformis in the studied flock.

Acute and chronic effects of aerobic exercise on blood pressure in resistant hypertension: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Resistant hypertension is a specific condition that affects approximately 10% of subjects with hypertension, and is characterized by persistently high blood pressure levels even using therapy of three or more antihypertensive agents or with blood pressure control using therapy with four or more antihypertensive agents. Changes in lifestyle, such as physical exercise, are indicated for controlling blood pressure. However, investigating studies about this therapy in individuals with resistant hypertension are few. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a randomized controlled clinical trial. Forty-eight patients with resistant hypertension will be submitted to perform four short-term interventions: aerobic exercise sessions (mild-, moderate- and high-intensity) and control session, in random order and on separate days. After the short-term sessions, the patients will be randomly allocated into four groups for 8 weeks of follow-up: mild-, moderate- and high-intensity aerobic exercise, and a control group. The primary outcome is the occurrence of blood pressure reduction (office and ambulatory analysis, and acute and chronic effects). Secondary outcomes are autonomic and hemodynamic mechanisms: cardiac and vasomotor autonomic modulation, spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity, forearm blood flow and vascular resistance. DISCUSSION: The importance of exercise for hypertension has been known for decades, but little is known about the effects on patients with resistant hypertension. This study will help to understand whether different aerobic exercise intensities can induce different responses, as well as by what mechanisms adjustments in blood pressure levels may occur. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02670681 . Registered on 28 January 2016 (first version); Brazilian Registry Platform Clinical Trials: protocol RBR-5q24zh . Registered on 24 June 2015.

Effects of chronic restraint stress on the global DNA methylation profile of rat lung cells: Modulation by physical exercise.

The potential of behavioral stress to affect epigenetic mechanisms of non-encephalic tissues is still underestimated. In the present study we evaluated the effects of chronic behavioral stress on the DNA methylation profile of rat lung cells. Furthermore, we evaluated the potential of physical exercise to modulate the changes evoked by behavioral stress in lung cells. Male Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups: (1) animals submitted to chronic restraint stress (CRS) (ST group) during the period of the 67th-80th postnatal day (PND); (2) animals submitted to physical exercise (EX group) during the 53rd-79th PND; (3) animals submitted to swimming during the 53rd-79th PND and to CRS during the 67th-80th PND (EX-ST group); and (4) animals not submitted to stress or swimming protocols (CTL). Global DNA methylation was quantified using an ELISA-based approach and gene expression was evaluated by real time PCR. A decreased global DNA methylation profile was observed in the ST group, however physical exercise demonstrated protection of lung cells from this stress-related hypomethylation. Increased expression of the Dnmt1 gene was evidenced in the ST group, whereas physical exercise was shown to protect lung cells from this stress-related effect in the EX-ST group. Comparative analysis of the ST and EX groups revealed opposite effects on the expression of Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b; however, a stress-related increase in expression of Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b was not seen in the EX-ST group. Our data showed that behavioral stress induced significant changes in the DNA methylation profile of rat lung cells and that this could be modulated by physical exercise.

Responses of Crepis japonica induced by supplemental blue light and UV-A radiation.

Crepis japonica (L.) D.C. (Asteraceae), a weed with antioxidant, antiallergenic, antiviral and antitumor properties displays both medicinal properties and nutritional value. This study aims to assess the effects of a supplementation of blue light and UV-A radiation on the growth, leaf anatomical structure and phenolic profile of the aerial parts of Crepis japonica. Plants were grown under two light treatments: W (control - white light), W + B (white light supplemented with blue light) and W + UV-A (white light supplemented with UV-A radiation). We recorded the length, width, and weight of fresh and dry leaves, the thickness of the epidermis and mesophyll, and stomata density. The phenolic profiles of the aqueous extracts of the aerial parts were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. There was an increase in the leaf size, stomatal density, and phenolic production, and a thickening of the mesophyll and epidermis. UV-A radiation increased the phenolic production more than blue light. Blue light and UV-A radiation both improved the production of caffeic acid by about 6 and 3 times, respectively, in comparison to control. This compound was first reported as a constituent of the extract from the aerial parts together with caftaric acid. UV-A also promoted the production of chlorogenic acid (about 1.5 times in comparison to the control). We observed that the morphological and chemical parameters of C. japonica are modified in response to blue light and UV-A radiation, which can be used as tools in the cultivation of this species in order to improve its medicinal properties and nutritional value.

Nematode infection patterns in a Neotropical lizard species from an insular mountain habitat in Brazil.

Neotropical lizards are known to harbour rich nematode parasite faunas; however, knowledge of the diversity and patterns of infection are still lacking for many species. This is true for the genus Tropidurus, in which data on patterns of parasitism are known for only approximately 11 of its 30 species. We show that the nematode fauna associated with a population of Tropidurus montanus is composed of three species of host-generalist parasites with high overall prevalence. Male and female lizards did not differ in infection pattern and there was no relationship between host body size and intensity of infection for the most prevalent parasite species. Nevertheless, overall prevalence changed seasonally, with a higher proportion of parasitized individuals being found in the dry period than in the rainy period. We discuss our findings in the context of diet patterns of T. montanus, which we suggest may explain the similarities in prevalence and intensity of infection between the sexes. In addition, seasonal changes in diet are considered to be related to the observed differences in prevalence between dry and rainy periods.